Well, here’s one of those odd stories that are a little more complicated than one would expect at first blush: a man in Wappingers Falls, N.Y*. was kicked out of a Planet Fitness gym … for grunting.
Albert Argibay, a bodybuilder and a state correction officer, was at a Planet Fitness gym with 500 pounds of weight on his shoulders one afternoon this month when the club manager walked over and told him it was time to leave. Mr. Argibay, the manager explained, had violated one of the club’s most sacred and strictly enforced rules: He was grunting.
“I said to her, ‘I’m not grunting, I’m breathing heavy,’ ” recalled Mr. Argibay, 40, an energetic man with the hulking appearance of a pro linebacker. “I guess she didn’t like the fact that I challenged her, because she said to me, ‘Meet me up front; I’m canceling your membership.’ ”
He continued lifting, but soon was surrounded by town police officers, who told him to drop the weight slowly and pack his bag, then escorted him from the gym.
“No grunting” sounds like a pretty bizarre rule, frankly. The purpose, apparently, is to help the target demographic of Planet Fitness — boomers who’ve never really worked out before but have started going to the gym — feel less intimidated. The place bills itself as a “The Judgment Free Zone,” and yet, nationwide, the gym kicks out about two members per month, mostly for grunting and dropping weights. Dropping weights, I can see — it’s a safety issue. But grunting?
Problem is, grunting serves a purpose.
Dennis G. O’Connell, a professor of physical therapy at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Tex., has conducted studies on the effects of grunting. He found that weight lifters produce between 2 and 5 percent more force when they grunt, in part because the deep breathing grunting entails can help stabilize the spine.
I’ve begun working out with a trainer recently, and when I moved up to doing chest presses on the big bar,** she encouraged me to grunt. I admit, I’m pretty self-conscious about doing so, partly because nobody at the gym at the times I work out is much of a grunter (this could just be due to where the club is located, inside a large office tower; it doesn’t attract a lot of bodybuilders. I’ve been to other clubs in the same chain where there was more grunting). OTOH, it really does help. Plus, it’s kind of liberating.
And about the “Judgment Free Zone” thing: not so much.
At Planet Fitness gyms, grunters and other rule-breakers are treated to an ear-rattling siren with flashing blue lights and a public scolding. The “lunk alarm,” as the club calls it, is so jarring it can bring the entire floor to a standstill. (A lunk is defined, on a poster, as “one who grunts, drops weights, or judges.”)
Tim Gunther, a 6-foot, 200-pound firefighter in Poughkeepsie, said he and his colleagues were frequently harassed for “making noises that can’t be avoided” and compared the alarm to a nuclear war siren. “The first time I heard that thing it scared the heck out of me,” he said. “I thought there was a fire, and I’m a fireman. Without exaggeration, I’ve seen them set that thing off on people just for breathing too loud.”
I mean, Jesus. A siren? And you say you want to make working out less intimidating?
But there’s another thing lurking under the surface here: class. The fitness professionals interviewed for the article said that the rules that Planet Fitness had regarding grunting were way out of line in terms of gym etiquette. Most gyms will have rules about cellphone use, wiping down equipment, hogging equipment, waiting your turn and proximity to equipment in use while you’re waiting. Planet Fitness has rules about grunting and about attire — but only certain attire, like bandannas and jeans. You know, the kinds of things that blue-collar guys who are into bodybuilding tend to wear at the gym. Add to that the “lunk alarm” deployed against people who need to stay in shape for their jobs, and you’ve got yourself a little class problem. Is it novice exercisers the chain is trying to attract, or white-collar ones?
The goal of getting more people to the gym is a worthy one, and it can be intimidating to walk into a gym and see people who are very serious about their workouts. But that’s something that should be addressed by enforcing rules about courtesy, by giving members instruction on how to use the equipment, by ensuring that rules about working in are enforced, etc. Not by penalizing those who make frequent use of the memberships they’re paying for.
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*If the name of the town sounds familiar, that’s because it’s where the Tawana Brawley brouhaha took place.
**Can I tell you how disappointing it is that when I tell people how much I bench-press, I’m not supposed to count the weight of the bar? That alone is 45 pounds. I want credit for that, dammit!
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I can understand their policy. While grunting is a useful breathing exercise for upping performance, it rarely stays that way. I have been around men who had been exercising calmly and suddenly one grunts to push up his effort. Next thing you know it sounds like you are inside a flock of male peacocks all squawking their calls to attract attention. It can be a mite distracting.
If Planet Fitness is serious about helping novice clients get started they may need to consider segregating to a rules-zone for newbies and a larger area with fewer rules for the experienced core of clients. Odds are that as a corporation they will continue to use a onesize fits all policy that inevitably leads to irritation for both groups.
Wow. I’ve never done weight-lifting, but years ago, when I was practicing karate, we were supposed to do the equivalent of grunt (though it’s more like a scream) at certain points – and that sudden, controlled exhalation really did seem to help focus the punch/kick/block.
It’s a little complex–I went to a Gold’s in Seattle where a lot of the grunting was pretty clearly showing off, not for utilitarian reasons, and it was also really fucking annoying. But what this guy was doing, not so much. And I don’t know how a rule can account for the differences.
I do wish my gym would get serious about enforcing its cell phone ban, though.
it just weirds me out that someone would actually care about people grunting…in a place where grunting is expected! ive been to gyms and grunting and machine noises are just in the backround…it really doesnt even register with me
That sounds like the most bizare rule I’ve ever heard about. Grunting happens in gyms, so what?
I used to train in a gym where most people were taking steriods or similar, and that was somewhat intimidating, but those people were not grunting – they were yelling.
Caja, when a kiai is done correctly, it does indeed give more power to the punch/kick, though it has to be timed right.
I’m semi-sympathetic to the last comment in the article (’sand in our faces’). Gyms can be very discouraging places for some people. It’s not a bad idea to have a gym that caters to the intimidated demographic.
I was initially sympathetic to Argibay, but when I read his lawyer’s “boycottplanetfitness” web site, I became less so. Stereotypy of the people who might appreciate an atmosphere that is less welcoming of hardcore fitness types.
Well, that’s fucked up.
Planet Fitness, the Genteel Gym
“You can work out, but not too hard.”
And zuzu, you do count the weight of the bar. If you benched the bar plus two plates (45s), you’d tell people you benched 135. Right now you’re kind at “zero”, but once you add some 5s you can tell folks you bench 55 and they’ll understand what you mean.
Strange dynamic. My line of work requires me to workout 6 times a week, and to imagine a gym or footrace where people aren’t grunting or yelling is just alien. The purpose of a serious workout isn’t to be a restful experience, but rather to force you to push the limits of your own body.
*Shrug* Of course conservatives would categorize this incident as a shining example of “the evils of PC society,” but I think it’s just more milquetoast suburban boomer claptrap.
Can I tell you how disappointing it is that when I tell people how much I bench-press, I’m not supposed to count the weight of the bar?
Go with em, above – of course you count the weight of the bar when you are discussing your performance. (Adding fictitious weight is optional; all I know is, I can’t wait until I’m eighty because the older I get, the more I used to be able to bench. Right now I only used to be able to bench 250 in college but a few more birthdays and I am confident I will have been up to 300).
Eh. The reason that I lift weights is to ward off osteoporosis. It’s a bit like brushing my teeth: it’s something I do as basic physical maintenance, not because I’m hugely invested in it as a way of life. I think it’s worth realizing that not everyone is looking for the same thing in a workout. I know that it’s fun to mock the suburban boomers, but that actually seems like a good reason for there to be a variety of different gyms, with a variety of different gym cultures.
Anti-grunting rules strike me as pretty stupid, but I also get a bit tired of gym snobbery. Not every gym in the world has to cater to the hard-core bodybuilders.
I go to Planet Fitness in MA, and in over 2 years I’ve never heard the “lunk alarm” go off. In fact, I didn’t know there was such a thing until I read this post.
I don’t mind an involuntary grunt when lifting; it’s the show-offy, obnoxious kind that annoys me. There are signs posted about the no-grunting rule, but given that the staff at my gym don’t enforce the also-posted “wipe down machines” and “no cutting” rules either, it’s not surprising that I’ve never heard this siren.
Yay! That means I can claim 70 pounds.
Absolutely. And that works great in a city, where there is a population that can support a bunch of different gyms. But this is a town of 5,000, which means this may be the only game in town.
Well, there’s grunting, and then there’s bellowing. The bellowing usually accompanies weight-dropping.
I dated a guy in law school who lifted very big weights. And he not only bellowed, he did the full-on Hulk thing, only he turned purple instead of green. I had to stop going to the gym with him because I couldn’t stop laughing at him — he looked like he was taking an enormous crap.
Let me chime in and also say that anyone who asks what you bench/squat/c&j, etc includes the weight of the bar, since you can’t very well lift those weights w/o the bar. Plus the weight of the bar will vary — anytime you’re doing more than 400 pounds you use a different bar because the steel will start bending on the 45lb olympic bars in the mid to upper 3s and severely bend in the 4s.
And this guy was squatting — presumably at least to parallel — 500 pounds! That deserves a little grunting. Squatting makes me pant to try to get enough oxygen, and I’m definitely not squatting 500lbs.
earl
My gym has its own grunter (referred to as such in conversation, i.e., “Thank goodness Grunter didn’t get on the elliptical next to mine.”) And yes, I did say “elliptical.” He’s the only person I know who grunts loudly and frequently while using cardio machines…
And grunters aren’t really the worst people: there’s another guy who I’m sure is going to seriously injure himself at some point soon–he uses waaaaaay too much weight, and he flings himself up when doing chin-ups (I’m just waiting for the day when the chin-up frame falls over).
Any yay for women who bench press! I always get vaguely funny looks when I bench press (only 80 pounds). I’m waiting for someone to ask me why a woman would bench press so I can make some snarky remark about it keeping the twins looking nice.
I’m semi-sympathetic to the last comment in the article (’sand in our faces’). Gyms can be very discouraging places for some people. It’s not a bad idea to have a gym that caters to the intimidated demographic.
Yeah, but the way they do that is irritating. What about the women who are just learning to grunt? What if someone took over a corner of the aerobics room to practice martial arts?
You mean like this bit, in the “rationale behind the policy” section:
I think it’s pretty clear from that website that this is at least in part about Argibay and his supporters’ need to preserve gyms as masculine spaces, set up for people like him and not for trash like the rest of us.
Ban cellphones, but let serious bodybuilders grunt when they use free-weights. But if the wimpy facility does not have free weights, then ban grunts too. Metrosexuals can use Nautilus, and boomers can use teensy barbells.
Ahnold is right about the girlie-men taking over.
I thought the no-bandana rule might have had something to do with gangs? (I grew up in an area where this was a problem, and no one was allowed to wear them to the free neighborhood gym. And at the Magic Johnson theatre, they always had the rule in the pre-movie bit about “no colors!”)
And working out in jeans seems a bit dangerous: you want to wear something that allows full motion and won’t get caught in machinery.
Wow, isn’t there bigger issues they should be worrying about rather than grunting in a gym? I mean, people are there to work out and grunting is a part of that for some people. How about no hitting on other members or wiping your icky sweat off of a machine? That kind of thing.
Yes, grunting is hideously distracting when you get a bunch of guys all doing it to out-macho each other, especially when they are not lifting weights that would call for it. But I can see times when it is useful, like the guy at my gym this morning who does barbell calf raises with 140kg.
On the other hand, my gym seems to have pretty good etiquette, few people do the unnecessary grunting and the heavy guys ‘pay’ for theirs by spotting others and helping you with your form, so you can lift heavier.
Jeans as hazardous? If you are doing an upper-body workout, and using free weights, then jeans aren’t an issue, from a gym-safety pov. Banning them could be an problem for those who wanted to fit in a workout and then go home without having to get changed. A teeshirt is easier to carry then a whole change of clothes.
Yeah, it’s really weird.
There should be no place for people intimidated by grunting freaks.
They have a God-given right to grunt at any place that calls itself a gym.
That ought to be obvious.
Google it.
It’s not.
For one, there’s a Gold’s. And Gold’s isn’t the only other gym in town.
Oddly enough, I almost only work out in jeans, like most of my coworkers. All depends on the fit, I guess. Then again, we’re probably not a “serious” gym environment, just a bunch of grunts (pun intended) who work out on our lunch break.
I once had the displeasure of being on a treadmill in front of a guy (also on a treadmill) who felt the need to grunt and sigh every 45 seconds. It was awful, and sounded obscene.
Of course, to my nerd-mind, I suddenly imagined a Sex and the City fanfic about what the four womens’ reactions to this guy would be. (Samantha found it hot.)
The club where I used to work out has been bought by “Extreme Fitness,” which is preparing to remodel it completely. I’m glad I’m not a member anymore; I don’t get the idea that a place called “Extreme Fitness” is going to be adding more benches or squat racks. It was bad enough usually being the only woman lifting free weights when all the other women were on the treadmills and ellipticals. There were guys who grunted, mostly to show off, but the place (a former movie theatre) was big enough that it wasn’t that annoying.
I really like this rant from an NYC bouncer who works out at gyms (not clubs) and swatted away a fitness club salesman like a gnat.
P. S. I grew up very near Wappingers Falls. Then I left the country.
My last gym was at the college where I taught, and I really wish there had been a lunk alarm there, to ward off the bellowing and weight-throwing football players who thought it was somehow sexy to invite a rectum prolapse in front of the whole room. I’m all for finding ways to make the working out process more inviting for people who haven’t been lifting since birth, especially given the physical shape most of my fellow USians are in.
This guy was lifting 500 pounds, right? Seems to me a good alternative to the “no-lunkhead” rule would be to simply not offer that much weight. I’ve been in small gyms where the weightlifting options were few; if they’re serious about catering to newbies, they should simply eliminate the possibility of even having hard-core bodybuilder types around.
That alone is 45 pounds. I want credit for that, dammit!
Take credit for it and say you’re pressing dumbbells and not using a bar. Problem solved!
I often grunt. Indeed, in the fine tradition of Monica Seles, I grunt through boxing, through Pilates work (the tougher, more intricate stuff), and certainly when using heavier weight. There’s no question that grunting helps enormously. I could work out silently but only at a vastly reduced level of effort.
When I ran track workouts, after every interval I would scream. Very loud.
Of course, I live in L.A. — we have a surfeit of gyms, and if I were asked to leave for grunting I’d have a host of options. I shudder for those who don’t.
My mother, who is considerably overweight, loves working out at “Curves”, which presumably is a judgment-free, largely grunting-free zone. I like the idea of specialized gyms for different people with different goals and abilities, but I also enjoy watching the big “‘roid boys” push the huge weight around. It’s inspiring to me. I lift much lighter weight, but as a distance runner, it wouldn’t make sense to do anything really heavy. I don’t feel intimidated by the behemoths doing bicep curls 65 pounds in each fist.
There are a few grunters in my gym. Some of them are really moving alot of steel, others are just tools.
I’m happy to just roll my eyes and make jokes about them in my mind (if I said them out loud I’d get squished like an ant).
In most decent-sized gyms, the free-weight area (where most of the grunters would be) is separated from the machines (and you don’t typically see the grunters using the machines).
I wonder if they have a dress code. I perused the webpage, but didn’t see any list of rules. I bring it up b/c of a point my brother-in-law made – that his gym did not allow men to wear tank tops b/c the muscle-y guys might be intimidating to the non-muscle-y guys. There was no such rule for women, thus allowing guys to work out in a non-intimidating environment with plenty of sports-bra wearing chicks to ogle.
Headphones eliminate all the distracting grunting noises. Of course, then you run the risk of grunting yourself and not realizing it.
And I suppose headphones don’t work so well for some exercises, especially if their cord is too long.
I grunt. Without shame. I try not to scream, but yes, breathing out when you lift is good for you. In addition to the issue pointed out above, it also is now said to reduce the risk of exertion-induced glaucoma. And, frankly, if you don’t feel at least some inclination to grunt or exhale heavily in the process of lifting weights, I suspect you aren’t lifting enough for your workout to make much of a difference. It’s supposed to involve real effort!
I gotta laugh at rules like that. Seriously, when I began lifting I was self-conscious and afraid of looking like a fool or a weakling, like many. Then, after a few months, I finally realized that no one was paying the slightest attention to my workout. It’s been so much easier ever since.
I am hardly muscle-bound, but I always wear tanktops (Everlast) to the gym. I feel much more comfortable lifting with bare arms. I’d be very outta any gym that stipulated men cover up.
Me, personally, I have more trouble at the gym when I have to deal with a flock of .5% body fat tanning bed chicks who are giving all 275 pounds of me nasty looks for being there.
Mind you, I ignore it, but I’d still rather not have it around. I’d consider going to Curves, which is apparently very “feel better” positive, as opposed to “get all toned and ripped” focused, but I know too much about where the money goes. (sigh)
Have you noticed that more and more our society is about coddling and soothing and dumbing down? We’re all adults here. I would wager that nearly all of the “intimidation” occurring in gyms is one-sided; i.e. the bulky, grunting weight lifters might be “showing off,” but, really, they’re much more concerned about oggling their traps in the mirror than in taking the time and effort to actually walk up to someone scrawny and laugh. That “scrawny” person is the one who has the body issues, and who needs to work through them. I don’t believe that we need to be patted on the head 24 hours a day, constantly made to feel okay about ourselves and convinced by others that we are, indeed, special snowflakes. The gym is for working out and improving health and fitness. Instead of letting ourselves be intimidated by others (it’s really our choice nearly all of the time), why not ignore others, or be inspired by those in better shape than us?
And Alexandra, as one of those “.5% body fat chicks” (which is actually physically impossible, but whatever), I find your comments worse than the pointed looks said skinny girls purportedly give you at the gym. Why rail at someone like me because of what I look like or because of the shape I’m in? As long as you’re not being openly harrassed (name calling, physical contact, etc), ignore the looks you’re supposedly getting & just work out for your own reasons.
“no cutting” rules either
What? You can’t fart in the Gym?
:)
Seriously, when I began lifting I was self-conscious and afraid of looking like a fool or a weakling, like many. Then, after a few months, I finally realized that no one was paying the slightest attention to my workout. It’s been so much easier ever since.
Same here. Usually they just ignored me. When someone did “notice” me it was usually to offer helpful advice. After a few months, even though I still looked about the same, the other “regulars” started exchanging greetings with me, chit-chatting in between sets, and asking me for a spot – it was more about being “serious” about sticking to it than being “big”. The idea that some bigger guy is going to push you aside and say “Get out of my way weakling, I’m taking this bench” is ludicrous. Almost all the “gym regulars” were once either fat or skinny (hence the motivation) and are certainly NOT going to mock someone going through what they went through.
Me, personally, I have more trouble at the gym when I have to deal with a flock of .5% body fat tanning bed chicks who are giving all 275 pounds of me nasty looks for being there.
In a few years, when you look like one of them to some new girl in the same shoes, you can make her feel more at home and let her know its not impossible.
If anything you have more of a right to be there than they do because
1) you have more to gain by coming
2) more to lose by not coming
3) you are probably putting in more effort than they ever have.
Please continue to ignore them and keep working out. Seriously. Refuse to quit and the results WILL eventually come.
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